Rail joint



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Patented Sept. 26, i922.

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rains MATT CARAPINA, zAND FRANK NEVISTICH, OF TERRY, SOUTH DAKOTA.

RAIL JOINT.

Application iiled January 31, 1922. Serial No. 533,036.

To all who/m. 'it may concern Be it known that we, MATT CAnAriN. andFRANK Nnvis'rrorr, citizens of the United States, residing at ylerry, inthe county of Lawrence and State of South Dakota, have invented new anduseful improvements in Rail. Joints, of which the following is aspecification.

The invention relates to improvements in rail joints.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction ofrail joints and to provide a simple, practical and efficient rail jointof strong, durable and comparatively inexpensive construction adapted toeliminate fish plates, angle bars and similar connecting means andcapable of securely interlocking the contiguous ends of adjacent railsand of enabling the same to be securely spiked to the cross ties.

A further object of the invention is to pro-y vide a rail joint of thischaracter equipped with male and female interlocking` ends capable ofeffectually preventing lateral and longitudinal separation of the railsand of permitting the necessary expansion and contraction of the sameand also enabling the rails to be readily separated and removed when thespikes are withdrawn.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafterfully described, illustrated in the accon'ipanying drawings and pointedout in the claim hereto appended, it being understood that variouschanges in the form, proportion and minor details of construction,within the scope of the claim, may be resorted to without departing fromthe spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages vof the invention.

in the drawings, in which like characters of reference designatecorresponding parts in the several. views Figure l is a side elevationof a rail joint constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the same.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the rail joint.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the male section of the rail joint.

Figure 5 is a similar view of the female section of the rail joint.

1n the accompanying drawing in whichy longitudinal tongue t and it hasan eX-y tended base 5 recessed at opposite sides of the tongue 4 andpresenting broad bearing surfaces and forming shoulders which arearranged in flush relation with the end face 3 of thev laterallyenlarged web portion 2. The tongue et which is arranged vertically, isprovided at th'etop at its outerl terminal withy an upwardly projectingportion 7 ar ranged in spaced relation with the end face 3 of thelaterallyfenlarged portion 2 to' form an intervening recess 8 forinterlocking with the female section as hereinafterfully described.

The female section consists of a rail `9 f having its web 10 laterallyenlarged at opposite sides at 11 at the endl of the rail and thelaterally enlarged portion 11, which is inwardly tapered, is provided inits lower portion with a longitudinal recess 12 arranged centrally ofthe end of the rail and extending upwardly from the bottom thereof andinwardly from the end of the same. The longitudinal recess 12, whichreceives the tongue i is provided at the top at the inner portion with abranch or socket 13 which receives the projectionr' of the tonguewhereby the male and female sections are interlocked and held againstrelative longitiulinal movement, suflicient space or play being providedin j nactice to permit the expansion and contraction of the rails. Thebase 'lfet of the female section 9 extends to the outer end of the lateTally enlarged web port-.ion 11, as shown, and is provided `in, itslower face with bottom recesses 15 located at opposite sides of thelongitudinal recess 12 and presenting fiat lower surfaces and innershoulders 16. The flat faces of the recessed terminal portions of thebase of the female sectiony are fitted against the flat upper bearingsurfaces orl the extended portion of the base of the male section andthe recessing of the base portions arranges ill@ 11191961' and loweraces of the bases 0f the rails in substantially flush relation andprovides an intel-fitting or interlocking connection, the shoulders Gand 16 cooperating with the end faces of the male and female sections tolimit the inward longitudinal movement of the rails.

The female section is adapted to be fitted over the tongue of the malesection to interlock the parts and the interlocking of the parts willhold the sections against relative lateral and longitudinal movement andthe spikes 'i7 for securing` the male and female seetions of the railsto the cross ties will hold the rails against up 'ard movement so thatthe rails will be securely held in place Without the employment of iisliplates? angle bars and similar connecting` means. 'lso the interlocledends of the rails are arranged in overlapping' relation So that the endsof the rails ivill be maintained 'in proper relative position to preventthe pounding' of the Wheels on the ends of the rails due to unevenspacingY or positioning of the same.

Each of the rails if; designed to be provided at each end with one otthe male or female sections and one rail may be proi vided at one endwith a female section and i/ieopaa bottom thereof and provided at thetop with an upwardly extending` terminal projection, said male sectionbeing` inovideL `with an extended base recessed at the upperface atopposite sides of the tongue to. form smooth 'l'lat bearine surfaces andto provide inner shoulders, and an interlocking female seetion having alaterally enlarged inwardly tapered web provided in its lower portionwith a longitudinal recess extending` inwardly from the end of thefemale section and upwardl57 from the lower face of the saine to receivethe said tongue and provided at the top at its inner portion with avortical branch or Socket receiving the terminal lvnojection of thetongue to interlock the serti'isis against relal'i'fe lolug'itui'linalmovement, said longitudinal recces and tongue e'ztendiirey upwardly fromthe l'iettiu'fi the rails and terminating short. ol the head of thesaine so as to leave the tread 'fau of the heads unbrol-:en to the endof eaeh rail, and said 'female section being also prf vided withextended base portions recessed at their lower :faces at the bottom ofthe rail to form smooth unbroken surfaces and fitted upon the flatliearingsurfaces of l'lie male section and forming` inner shoulders, andthe said web being; tapered horizontally7 to provide a substantiallyelongated elliptical ivob formation at the joint and of a 'width nearli7equal to that of the head of the rails at the ends thereof andgraduall)7 decreasing in Width to a point considerably beyond the end ofeach rail,

In Vtestimony whereof We have hereunto set our hand.

Mr-rr'll CARAPNA. FRANK NEVISTICH,

